Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller

Abstract

A method of gaming comprising: selecting a plurality of symbols for display in a set of display positions on a display in each game round; initiating a series of one or more bonus game rounds conferring a special benefit on the player in response to a trigger condition being met; determining a game round outcome of whether to make an award to a player based on each game round; and ending the series of one or more bonus game rounds when less than a designated number of the displayed symbols in a subsequent game round is a bonus game symbol.

1 . A method of gaming comprising:
 selecting a plurality of symbols for display in a set of display positions on a display in each game round;   initiating, by a processor, a series of one or more bonus game rounds conferring a special benefit on the player in response to a trigger condition being met;   determining a game round outcome of whether to make an award to a player based on each game round;   determining a displacement of a bonus game symbol relative to the bonus game symbol's current display position;   continuing the series of bonus game rounds when the displacement is to a display position within the set of display positions; and   ending the series of one or more bonus game rounds when the displacement is not to one of the set of display positions and there are less than a designated number of bonus symbols after the displacement.   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the trigger condition is that at least one of the displayed symbols is a bonus game symbol. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the designated number is one such that the series ends when none of the displayed symbols in a subsequent game round is a bonus game symbol. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising selecting the appearance of the bonus game symbol randomly. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising causing the disappearance of the bonus game symbol randomly. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the special benefit conferred on the player by the presence of the bonus game symbol is that the next game round is free of charge. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at each display position associated with a bonus game symbol, only the bonus game symbol is displayed. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the bonus game symbol is a wild symbol able to substitute for any of the other displayed symbols in determining the game round outcome. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bonus game symbols are displayed in conjunction with a normal symbol in the same display position. 
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the displacement is randomly selected from a set of possible displacements relative to the previous display position. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the set of display positions are a set of reel windows set side by side each comprising a plurality of visible reel positions. 
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the set of possible displacements is up or down within a reel, left or right between reels or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the displacement is not randomly selected. 
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein there is more than one bonus game symbol. 
     
     
         15 . A gaming system comprising:
 a display for symbols to be displayed in a set of display positions to a player;   a symbol selector arranged to select the symbols for display in each game round;   a bonus game controller arranged to: initiate a series of bonus game rounds when a trigger condition is met, control the series of one or more bonus game rounds, determine a displacement of a bonus game symbol relative to the bonus game symbol's current display position, continue the series of bonus game rounds when the displacement is to a display position within the set of display positions, and end the series of bonus game rounds when the displacement is not to one of the set of display positions and there are less than a designated number of bonus symbols after the displacement; and   an outcome generator arranged to determine an outcome for each game round.   
     
     
         16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the bonus game controller is arranged to control the position of each bonus game symbol during the series of one or more bonus game rounds. 
     
     
         17 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the bonus game controller comprises a displacement selector to select a displacement of the bonus game symbol, which depending on the selected displacement, may or may not result in the bonus game symbol being displayed within the set of display positions. 
     
     
         18 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the displacement selector selects the displacements randomly from a set of possible displacements. 
     
     
         19 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the bonus game symbol is a wild symbol able to substitute for any or some of the other displayed symbols in determining the game round outcome. 
     
     
         20 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the trigger condition is that at least one of the displayed symbols is a bonus game symbol. 
     
     
         21 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the designated number is one such that the series ends when none of the displayed symbols in a subsequent game round is a bonus game symbol. 
     
     
         22 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the special benefit conferred on the player by the presence of the bonus game symbol is that the next game round is free of charge. 
     
     
         23 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the set of display positions are a set of reel windows set side by side each comprising a plurality of visible reel positions. 
     
     
         24 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the set of possible displacements is up or down within a reel, left or right between reels or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         25 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein at least the game controller is implemented by a processor executing program code stored in a memory. 
     
     
         26 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , comprising a game play mechanism operable by the player to initiate a play of a game comprising at least one initial game round and any bonus game rounds. 
     
     
         27 . A game controller comprising:
 a symbol selector arranged to select symbols for display to a player in each of a plurality of game rounds;   a bonus game controller arranged to initiate a series of bonus game rounds when a trigger condition is met, to control the series of one or more bonus game rounds, determine a displacement of a bonus game symbol relative to the bonus game symbol's current display position, continue the series of bonus game rounds when the displacement is to a display position within the set of display positions, and to end the series of bonus game rounds when the displacement is not to one of the set of display positions and there are less than a designated number of bonus symbols after the displacement; and   an outcome generator arranged to determine an outcome for each game round based on each game round.   
     
     
         28 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the bonus game controller is arranged to control the position of each bonus game symbol during the series of one or more bonus game rounds. 
     
     
         29 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the bonus game controller comprises a displacement selector to select a displacement of the bonus game symbol, which depending on the selected displacement, may or may not result in the bonus game symbol being displayed within the set of display positions. 
     
     
         30 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the displacement selector is arranged to select the displacements randomly from a set of possible displacements. 
     
     
         31 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the bonus game symbol is a wild symbol able to substitute for any or some of the other displayed symbols in determining the game round outcome. 
     
     
         32 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the trigger condition is that at least one of the displayed symbols is a bonus game symbol. 
     
     
         33 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the designated number is one such that the series ends when none of the displayed symbols in a subsequent game round is a bonus game symbol. 
     
     
         34 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the special benefit conferred on the player by the presence of the bonus game symbol is that the next game round is free of charge. 
     
     
         35 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 27 , implemented by a processor executing program code stored in a memory.